Tag: Brake Shops Maplewood

It happens to all of us at one point in time. We get into an automobile collision and need the best auto body shop in Maplewood. Hopefully, it is not too bad and we are not seriously injured. But usually the car does not fare as well and comes away with significant damage.

What is the next step after your collision and you need an auto body shop?

Likely, after informing the insurance company you take your vehicle to one of their “approved” vendors.

Here is what happens next. You tell the insurance company what company you choose. By this time they have already taken phones of the car and know how extensive the damage is. If you need an expert to take a look, make sure you go to a repair shop in Maplewood.

They have a computer system that gives them a printed estimate stating what the replacement parts and labor will be based upon a set hourly rate.

This statement is given to the body shop. It comes with a break down of what the labor and parts “should” be and the company has to usually be able to totally fix the car for that price.

How to Spot a Scam Auto Body Shop

Keep in mind that what is printed out represents the best case scenario and doesn’t allow for items on the car that was missed or problems that come up.

Now here are some things to watch out for. a local auto body shop in Maplewood is operating under very, very thin margins and the incentive to “cut corners” is huge. Getting an extra $300 off a job can really add up over the course of the month when you are talking about doing at least 3-5 vehicles every week.

Laser Wheel Alignment: Chassis Mounted Vs Wheel Mounted

Replacement Parts in Auto Body Shops

Make sure the parts being used on your car are OEM parts. These are replacement auto body parts in Maplewood are sent directly from the car manufacturers and are designed with the same specs as the vehicle came with.

Aftermarket parts can be significantly cheaper yet are not the same quality and make not hold up the same in the event of another accident.

No Realignment? Talk to Your Auto Repair Team!

The frame is usually somewhat bent when a car goes through an accident of any kind. It needs to be properly realigned. You need a serious all hands on deck auto body shop to take care of you here.

Unfortunately, because the money made off one car can be very little the propensity to skip this step is very high. Later down the road this will cause your car to not drive straight but at a tilt and your tires will wear prematurely. So if you need to brush up on some tire repair, ask your mechanic straight away.

Using Bondo (Fillers) Instead of Replacing the Part

Filling any damage in with bondo is not bad in itself. If you know what the auto body shop in Maplewood is doing, they tell you, and this is what you are paying for then it is fine.

The problem comes in when you think you are getting a vehicle back that is 99.9% the same as before it was wrecked and it is not. Filling a damaged part in with filler rather than replacing the expensive part is a common tactic and you want to make sure it is not done on your vehicle.

Wheel Alignment and Tire Balancing: Why Are They Important?

All damaged parts should be replaced unless you are paying a lower price for the car to just be fixed (in the case you want the cheapest price and do not care about having a car exactly the same as before). Again, you should really speak to your best auto body shop nearest you!

Keep in mind that most auto body repair shops are honest and are surviving in a tough industry.

Laser Wheel Alignment SystemsLaser Wheel Alignment Systems are a modern approach to wheel alignment. Wheel alignment certainly is one of the most significant setup parameters for racing cars. You would ask why... Because even things like moment center location and setup balance lose their importance, compared to wheel alignment. The alignment package has a massive amount of influence on the way that a race car behaves and performs.One of the most common questions asked is which is best - wheel mounted or chassis mounted lasers? Answering such a query is not easy: a more precise question would be which laser wheel alignment method is better for accuracy. Then, we would have to say that the chassis mounted laser is the right answer. As to why it is so, please find below...The Wheel Mounted LaserThe wheel mounted laser is very much likely to give mounting inaccuracies. Even if the hub or spindle adapter is flawless, it's still extremely probable to have a burr on the hub or spindle face. Consider the following scenario: a simple piece of silicone 0.010" thick left on the rear hub face will throw the laser off by 0.332" by the time it reaches the leading edge of the front tire. Moreover, once we mount the laser to the wheel, that wheel now becomes the "master" reference point. In order to apply this method with accuracy, you will have to first check axle tube straightness, and then test rear end placement or wheel alignment. This rule is valid for all wheel mounted systems. On the other hand, what is also true for wheel mounted lasers is that the further you project the laser, the more accuracy you will gain. Still, in case that your mounting surface and adapters are not absolutely perfect, you will observe more inaccuracy again.Mounting the lasers to the chassis also enables the user to make suspension adjustments and read the changes instantly. For example, if you decide to adjust a trailing arm or a panhard bar, you can watch the rear end location change as you turn the tubes. Your adjustment moves the chassis, which has the lasers attached to it. Once you square the lasers to the chassis, you can make any adjustment to the suspension and the lasers stay square.Finally, it would be best to look for laser wheel alignment systems that have chassis mounted lasers that are adjustable. Having adjustable lasers allows the user to tune the laser to the master reference points, while also eliminating the possibility of a laser being "out of calibration".

Wheel Alignment Tech Talk - Camber, Caster, Toe-in

The insurance companies nickel and dime them at every turn and they are made to give them at time ridiculous discounts to get any business. That’s why having an auto body shop in your corner can’t be stressed enough.

Nevertheless, all an auto body shop should be on is your side and corners should not be cut at your expense and being watchful is just a smart way to go.

Your Auto Body Shop In Maplewood Should Help You With What Car Needs Exactly?

Today's vehicles are made with many different types of fuel-saving materials like lightweight alloys and plastics. It is important for an auto body shop to be aware of the different materials and techniques used for repairing them.

When a plastic bumper is cracked or has a small hole it can be repaired to look as good as new. Replacing the bumper is wasteful and it creates unnecessary debris for our landfills. A good, eco-friendly auto body shop will only recommend replacing the bumper if the damage is severe enough that repair time would be considered unreasonable and quality of results would be unsatisfactory.

The cost of repairing small abrasions, cracks and holes in plastic bumpers is often much cheaper than replacing the part. Of course, many collision repair technicians would rather replace the part and charge a fee for their labor plus mark-up on the price of the part because they lack in cosmetic repair skills and it is easier to warranty the work.

Working with Plastics

The first step to repairing plastic bumpers is to identify the material in order to choose the method of repair. Auto body shops use ISO codes on the parts to identify the various families of plastics. They cross-reference the codes with charts from the suppliers or by accessing reference materials on the internet.

It is important that the collision repair technician determine the type of plastic they are working with so they know the proper welding procedure to use to avoid damage to the part.

Some plastics can be welded with an airless welder or hot-air welder; others require a hot glue type of procedure. Tests must be performed and welding procedures have to be done correctly to avoid adhesion failure. Some bumpers will melt with a slight color change and they will remain tacky in the area where they have melted.

Adhesive Repairs

The bumper repair technician must identify the type of plastic they are working with in order to be successful with adhesive repairs. Failure to properly identify the plastic results in adhesion-related problems.

Flexibility

Some repair materials are based on flexible and rigid plastics. Using the wrong material can cause cracking when the part is flexed or it may not provide the correct strength for the repair area.

Cleaning and Prep

Proper cleaning and prep is critical for proper adhesion and finish. Whether the technician is repairing or replacing the bumper, the part will need to be cleaned. The bumper being repaired is likely to be dirty from the road; the new replacement part can have contamination on it from the manufacturing process.

Auto body repair professionals should use a low-VOC surface cleaner or a special plastics parts cleaner to help prevent solvents from going too deep into the plastic. If solvents are too harsh, they go deep into the plastic and cause adhesion problems after repairs are done.

This is an overview of the process of working with plastics. Time is money in the auto body industry; therefore, many collision repair technicians choose to replace rather than repair plastic bumpers and other parts.

Technology allows us to repair many items that are often replaced. As resources become scarce and landfills become over-full, we really should consider repairing rather than replacing when possible.